Portland fans show love for Damian Lillard in his return to the court with the Trail Blazers

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Damian Lillard is back, in more ways than one.

The star guard played his first regular-season game with the Trail Blazers since returning to Portland in the summer of 2025, scoring 25 points with six 3-pointers in a 124-83 rout of the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night.

Lillard spent some 16 months rehabbing a torn Achilles tendon he sustained with the Milwaukee Bucks.

“I did feel good, but you know I've felt good for months now, and I've been saying that. But I think there's probably some people that might have been skeptical because they hadn't seen me. I hadn't been out on the floor and been in front of people," Lillard said.

The nine-time All-Star was greeted with an extended standing ovation at Moda Center when he welcomed the crowd in a pregame address. A beloved figure in Portland, he clearly was missed.

“It was a lot of love. The fans showed a lot of love,” Lillard said. “I think it's no secret the relationship between myself and our fans and the city of Portland.”

New addition Ja Morant, who finished with 14 points in his Trail Blazers debut, was impressed.

“You know, for me today it was, the guy hasn't played in 18 months, and he comes out and delivered the way he did for us," Morant said. "Special, man.”

Lillard signed a three-year, $42 million deal to rejoin the Blazers in July 2025 after spending two seasons with the Bucks. He had spent the first 11 seasons of his career with Portland.

Lillard averaged 24.9 points and 7.1 assists in his final season with the Bucks, but he played only 58 games because of deep vein thrombosis. For his career, Lillard has averaged 25.1 points and 6.7 assists.

“Coming back off of a major injury, getting back healthy, and making it to this day, being a part of a really good team — at a different time for the Trail Blazers than my last stint with the team — it just felt great to be embraced and welcomed,” Lillard said.

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Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard reacts after making a 3-point basket against the Phoenix Suns during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) reaches for a loose ball against the Phoenix Suns during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard looks up at the clock against the Phoenix Suns during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)

PHOENIX (AP) — Hail the size of golf balls and damaging wind gusts pounded northern and central Arizona in a rare storm blowing through, bringing with it tornado risks and possible flash floods.

The National Weather Service issued multiple warnings as severe thunderstorms moved through the state overnight Tuesday and into Wednesday, encouraging people to seek shelter and stay away from windows as damaging 2- to 3-inch (5- 7.6-centimeter) hail struck the area. Hail pummeled people's roofs, shattered windows and dented cars.

Tornado watches were issued for multiple areas — the first the state has seen since October 2010.

Warm, moist air moving north fuels storms coming off the California coast. Changing winds can make them spin, creating the conditions for tornadoes, said Ryan Bernhart, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Flagstaff.

“This is very unusual for this area at this time of the year,” Bernhart said.

Strong winds toppled trees in Flagstaff and Mesa, with some landing on walls and carports. A few dozen ponderosa pines over 30 feet (9 meters) tall fell down in the Coconino National Forest, northwest of Flagstaff.

“These are not small trees that are down," Bernhart said. “These are pretty strong trees that had been knocked down.”

The greatest threat to the Phoenix metro area is heavy rainfall and flash flooding tonight and Thursday morning, said Mark O’Malley, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Phoenix.

Jessica Hill reported from Las Vegas.

Part of a covered parking area was damaged after storms hit a local apartment complex, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, in Mesa, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Storms uprooted trees in widespread damage at a local church complex after storms hit the area, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, in Mesa, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

The skies are gray as a storm dumped heavy rain and hail across Flagstaff, Ariz., on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Cheyanne Mumphrey)

Tree debris obstructs part of a street as storms caused damage at a local apartment complex, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, in Mesa, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)